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SILENT SIGN WRITER 



A BOOK DEVOTED ENTIRELY TO 
THE ART OF 



SIGN WRITING 



IN ALL ITS BRANCHES WITH FINE 



HALF TONES 



OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS AND SUCH OTHER 

INFORMATION AS WILE GIVE TO THOSE 

WHO ARE DESIROUS OF LEARNING, A 

VERY CLEAR AND DISTINCT UNDER- 

-::- STANDING OF THE ART. -::- 




-«., ■«.%, 



-SJt 



THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies Received 

APR 16 1903 

Copyright trrtrv 

CLASS ^ XXc. No. 

COPY B. 



Copyright, 1903 
All rights reserved. 



■ J&- 



Any infrinsrment of copyright will be strictly dealt with. 



*- » .■-.- : *» '*"' 



r 




In compiling this work for the benefit and guid- 
ance of beginners the author will endeavor to 
confine himself to the art of SIGN WRITING ex- 
clusively^ithout using terms of phraseology which 
would detract rather than add to the value of this 
most useful book. 

Only the best methods will be put forth in a 
manner which many years of actual experience 
would suggest as the most useful and practical by 
which a beginner may, in a very short time, 
not only become a practical sign writer, but also 
make a SNUG SUM OF MONEY. 

There is no trade or profession in the world thai* 
offers such opportunities as does SIGN WRITING. 

Master the art and you may travel from one end 
of the earth to the other and not only make" your 
expenses and be independent but lay-up money 
besides. 

Drop in anywhere any. time and you can make 
easy money while others will marvel at your easy 
method. 



4 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

These are actual facts worth your earnest con- 
sideration. 

Commence to practice today. How quick time 
passes when one becomes interested. Just a little 
practice each day and you are soon a very fair 
SIGN WRITER, and you will congratulate your- 
self every day for having been wise enough to 
adopt this method for improving your position. 

There is no such thing as fail for those who are 
interested enough to study the contents of, and will 
put into practice the methods herein contained. 

It will be more easy for you as a beginner to 
learn, than it was for the writer, simply because 
every point or suggestion necessary to become a 
proficient sign writer is given in a full, clear man- 
ner throughout the book. 

Right here it might be well to state, that this 
book is not intended for those whose mission on 
earth seems to be to fail in every undertaking sim- 
ply because they are never willing to put forth a 
little effort in their own behalf. 

There never was a good deed done or anything 
ever accomplished in this world without some ef- 
fort on the part of those who would succeed. 

Anyone who becomes the lucky possessor of this 
book and does not profit by the information it con- 
tains, never need hope of making a success of any 
undertaking in this world. 

Did you ever stop to think that advertising is the 
very life of trade, and the vast amount of money 



THE SILENT SIGX -WRITER 5 

that is invested every year in display advertising? 
And did it ever occur to you that when you make 
it a business to advertise for others that you are in 
a position which is always alive? 

Advertising will never die. 

Display advertising which comes under the 
head of SIGX WKITIXG is always hand, in hand 
with up to date methods. 

Note the Gunning system of Chicago, Sam Hote 
of New York, and others. 

Millions of dollars every year are spent in this 
class of advertising and millions more will be spent. 
Why not you get a goodly portion of this money? 

New ideas in advertising are always eagerly 
sought after by wide awake firms, and display, sign 
work offers the broadest field. 

Year after year the largest firms follow this class 
of advertising which is sufficient proof that they 
have by test found, that SIGX DISPLAY AD- 
VERTISING is the most profitable. 

This class of advertising leads all others, simply 
because it is cheap, attractive, and when once in 
place lasts a long time, thereby giving business 
men a living advertisement that costs but a trifle 
each month. 

Suppose you are poor and have no trade and it 
is necessary to make a living for yourself, could 
you imagine anything more pleasant than to be- 
come your own boss and start a straight legitimate 
profitable business of your own? 



6 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

Compare this with having to accept anything and 
everything that is offered you (and quite often 
nothing at all) for a very small compensation, be- 
sides when you work by the day, you have but a 
small chance to lay anything aside, or enjoy life as 
you should. 

THINK THIS OVER 

SIGN WRITING besides being pleasant and 
profitable work is considered one of the very best 
trades today, because a sign writer possesses a hold 
on advertising which no .one can take from him. 
' The best that outsiders, who have not improved 
their opportunity, can do, is to envy a sign writer's 
position.. 

One of the foremost reasons why the writer com- 
piled this book was because of the many hundreds 
of applications made to him to learn the art of 
SIG^ T WRITING. 

The author is a practical man in every branch 
and detail of the sign business,, from the plainest 
to the most artistic work. But let it be said right 
here that the best, and easiest money is made out of 
the common, ordinary work. The kind that stands 
out in bold letters, clean cut for example: 



E C.HEDSTEAD 



Cut No. 1. 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 7 

There is really nothing better or more attractive 
than a clear, clean exit, black and white sign for 
most purposes. 

Right here let me impress upon you the import- 
ance of simplicity in. sign work. 

The public does not care to look at Chinese puz- 
zles, it takes too much of their time to figure them 
out and consequently such a sign fails to fulfill its 
mission. 

Of course, you may to a very limited degree, 
make use of your artistic ability, but for general 
purposes, as previously ^^f'ftf^let simplicity be 
your constant watc^jS^ftl and you will find that 
your work will become more and more popular. 

Now. that I have your whole attention, and have 
given you a few hints which I hope are partly new 
to you and by which you may profit, I will proceed 
to get you ready for your first real active practice/ 

First of all you must have a brush, the right 
kind of course. One will do for most work, but 
you had better get a half dozen, assorted camel 
hair or red sable letterers, say Nos. 3, 6 and 8 of 
camel hair and the same of red sable, the cost will 
not be over 75 cents, then you are equipped for all 
classes of fine lettering, besides they will, with 
proper care, last a long time. It is of the ut- 
most importance to have a good brush, one that 
comes to a nice chisel point and cuts a clean edge. 
There is nothing that would tend, to discourage a 
beginner quicker than a poor lettering brush, 



8 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

such a brush would even worry an experienced sign 
writer to produce good results. 

Did you ever notice how many say: "I will get a 
cheap instrument while I am learning to play," or 
"I w T ill use a cheap brush while I am learning to 
letter and after I become more proficient I w T ill get 
a better one." You readily see the folly of such a 
proceeding. 

By all means make your first practice easy by 
procuring first class tools to work with, thereby 
eliminating all chances of • ever becoming discour- 
aged. 

LEAVE CHEAP INFERIOR TOOLS ALONE 
AT ALL TIMELS 

This is sound advice given for your benefit. 
Good brushes are the cheapest in the long run. be- 
sides always giving entire satisfaction. 

In your first practice in learning to make letters, 
start right in with a lettering brash because that 
will be your instrument all the way through and 
the sooner you master it the better. Of course, a 
brush is soft and will be a trifle awkward in the 
start, and will be a little inclined not to go just 
where you want it to, but after a little practice you 
will be surprised to find how it will become almost 
human. You will know beforehand just what it 
intends to do. 

In making straight lines and curves it will be 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 9 

entirely under your control. For your first prac- 
tice you may use a good, stiff cardboard, standard 
size at any printing office is about 22 by 28 inches. 
This will save you preparing a surface for the first 
few lessons and besides you will do a lot of card 
work anyway, after you learn, and the sooner you 
become used to it the better. When using a let- 
tering brush, do not use too much color and work 
your letterer on glass or a smooth surface. This 
brings the hairs to a chisel edge and works the 
color evenly through the brush. 

For card work you may use water colors, they 
look pretty, besides they dry quickly and are really 
the best colors to use for this class of work. 

They may be procured of paint dealers in small 
glass jars called distemper colors, or you may get 
a few cents worth of finely ground dry colors and 
mix with water using just enough glue or gum 
arabic to cause them not to chalk or rub off after 
drying. 

Distemper colors are mixed the same way, or in- 
stead of glue or gum arabic (for distempers) use 
stale beer, this works well and colors will not rub. 
When using stale beer, use no water. Use your 
colors quite thin so they will work free from the 
brush. A little practice, better than anything else 
will enable you to make them the proper consist- 
ency. When using glue or gum arabic for water 
colors, make a weak solution by dissolving either 
one in water by boiling, and use this to mix the col- 



10 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

ors with. One way is to mix quite heavy at first, 
with glue water, then thin with the same liquid 
until they work free. 

If you use the small box water colors you may 
use them right out of the box. You may use a 
single color first, a black, blue, green, or any solid 
color, and as you become more proficient you may 
combine different colors, and shade with delicate 
colors, or properly speaking, soft shades. 

The first thing now for you to attempt is the al- 
phabet, using a plain straight letter. 

8ee following cut. 



ABCDEF 
GHWKLMN 
OPQRSTU 
VWXYZ& 

Cut No. 2. 

In your first practice do not try to be too exact. 
I ask, though, that you follow my general advice. 



THP2 SILENT SIGN WRITER 11 

Hardly any two sign writers work the same, al- 
though with practical men results are about the 
same. Each one has some pet notion of his own. 
Hold your brush in a free, easy manner, don't im- 
agine it will hop away from you, just an easy grip 
is all that is required. You will find it much the 
easiest way to letter. 

Here is another good point to remember. DO 
NOT COMMENCE YOUE FIRST PRACTICE 
WITH A TIMID FEAR. Suppose your brush 
should slip, and blot a letter on your card, what of 
it? There is nothing lost and no particular harm 
done. You are using only card board or heavy 
manila paper, so a slip now and then will only 
cause you to be more careful next time. 

Do not attempt a fancy letter until you have 
mastered the plain letter in every detail. 

Keep every alphabet you make and look them 
over often as you practice, and if the previous 
ones have a defect, improve it in the next, Per- 
haps your A looks too narrow, or too wide at the 
bottom, or your M or W seems not to conform with 
the other letters. Strange as it may seem, hardly 
two letters when properly made, are the same width 
in the alphabet and your eye must guide you in 
free hand work, for free hand is the way that all 
modern sign work is done. 

Do away with diagram and scale work as much 
as possible for your average lettering. It makes 
the work look too stiff. 



12 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

Bear in mind, as previously stated, stick to your 
plain letters until you have them, completely mas- 
tered, for to attempt others in the start would be 
only to make the work seem the more difficult for 
you to master. This is v^ry important for you to 
heed. In preparing to letter a card, select some 
such phrase as "25 per cent, discount on our entire 
stock of dry goods for the next 10 days." See fol- 
lowing cut for general arrangement. 




niSCOUHT 

On our Entire Stock of 



Cut No. 3. 

Now take a hard lead pencil and draw your top 
and bottom lines for each line of letters, very light 
of course. Make the initial letter of each line 
or word of importance larger than the rest. 
Such as "DRY GOODS" or in any catch 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 13 

line. After you have your lines drawn you may 
sketch your letters or more properly your spaces, 
for sign writers very seldom, in this class of work, 
sketch their letters. Just sketch, in an off-hand 
way, your spaces about where each letter or word 
will come, then you will have a guide so as not to 
get one line too short and another too long, etc. 
After a little practice, you will hardly ever in your 
average work on cards have to space with a pencil 
at all, your eye will guide you. 

A neat fine line drawn around the card, say 
about i to one inch from edge will improve the 
looks of your work wonderfully, or you may strike 
one heavy and one fine line parallel around the 
edge, this looks well also. Sometimes, it is well to 
underline certain words with one or two parallel 
lines. Use a striper for drawing fine lines, in your 
first practice, after a while you will be able to save 
time by using your lettering brush on edge for 
lines. These ideas are given by way of suggestion 
just to start you. Many more will come to you as 
you get farther along. 

PRICES FOR CARD WORK 

For a full sheet, 22 by 28 inches, a sign writer 
charges from 50 to 75 cents, sometimes more ac- 
cording to the amount of reading matter and artis- 
tic display, a little less for a half sheet, and so on 
to smaller sizes. Price cards for window displays 



14 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

can be made for from two to ten cents apiece. In 
card work yon may use different colors of board, 
light tints, and pnt two or more together having a 
small shield on a larger one with a silver or a gold 
stripe around edge of each, then your reading mat- 
ter or prices in center. There are many varieties 
of designs yon can arrange. Use a little mucilage 
to stick them together. Yon may sometimes also 
use some flitter* of different colors on cards. After 
the letters are dry just strike a few little dashes 
here and there on the letters witli varnish or muci- 
lage and sprinkle on the flitter. It will stick only 
where the fresh size is. The rest will fall off wdien 
card is tipped up. Catch flitter on paper. 

Letter a card in black, shade -with light drab. 
When letters are dry put a few fine dashes or orna- 
ments on the letters with a slow drying varnish and 
sprinkle with silver flitter. This makes a very 
pretty effect. 

Nearly always shade to the left as you face your 
work and also use delicate colors. Never shade on 
the top of letters and but seldom to the right. 
Leave a small open space or margin between your 
shade and letter for general lettering. 

Notice following cut of different letters and 
shades. 



*Note — Flitter is a metal (if you get the genuine) and comes 
in very fine flakes. It may be purchased in almost any color im- 
aginable; gold, silver, green, crimson, blue, copper and many 
other shades. 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 15 




NDST 

E B ba rge 



Cut No. 4. 

By shading to the left you have less angles to 
contend with but more perpendicular lines. This 
gives more grace to your letters, and besides, bal- 
ances them better. All practical sign writers shade 
to the left. 

Shading nearly always adds to the appearance of 
letters, unless you have a large amount of letters 
to crowd into a small space, then it is advisable to 
leave oil' shading. Here is a j^ood opportunity to 
state that it is quite as necessary to space your 
work right as to be able to make a <>;ood letter. 

On card or cloth work it is well to remember that 

it is not the large clumsy letter that always shows up 

well, instead plenty of space or field around the let- 

1 brows out your work in a clear, attractive way 



16 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

On cloth work announcing a sale of anything, it 
is well to make your headline quite large, but the 
matter following may be made in smaller letters, 
except some important word or catch line. 

For example note following cut. 

Great Semi Annual Sale, 

Our entire stock of Shoes to be sold 

AT SURPRISINGLY LOW PRICES. 

Hu&\ make room tor our SPRING GOODS. 

Cut No. 5. 

You may use your own ideas in the arrangement 
of card, cloth or any other work. I simply show a 
few styles for you to work from. There are a great 
many pretty arrangements which will, with a little 
ingenuity and practice suggest themselves to yon, 
such as a curved or serpentine line occasionally, or 
a pleasing scroll or a neat dash thrown in here or 
there, or a line of letters slanted to the right or left 
or use a line of lower case* letters occasionally. 

Gold or aluminum make pretty shades on card 
w^ork, especially with such colors as black, blue, 
red, green, brown, etc. In mixing gold or alumi- 
num be sure to use what is called Lining Gold 
Bronze and Lining Aluminum Bronze. These are 
ground finer than ordinary bronzes and will mix 
solid and work smooth, not so with common 

*Note- The fourth, fifth and sixth lines in Cut No. 11, page 57 
are lower case letters. 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 17 

bronzes. Mix same as water colors for card work, 
and for work to be used out of doors, mix as a paint, 
using § pale drying japan and \ good finishing var- 
nish. A greater proportion of varnish and less 
japan will cause the bronze to show a less brilliant 
effect, the varnish serving to deaden or dull the 
natural lustre. The old process of first applying a 
size and using the bronze dry over this has fallen 
quite out of use. This method would be impracti- 
cal especially on card or cloth work, because the 
size would strike right into the ground and the 
bronze would not hold. Anyway the liquid method 
is quicker, healthier, and on the whole, furnishes 
more brilliant and quite as durable results. Bronzes 
mixed this way. work well on cards, cloth, paint 
surfaces and in fact, on almost any kind of surface. 
There are ways of doctoring or making cheap 
bronzes look quite well by soaking the bronze over 
night in benzine. This draws the verdigris to the 
surface of the benzine from which it then may be 
poured. As often as any remaining traces of verdi- 
gris appear, wash out in benzine. Then mix with 
a japan gold size to a working consistency and ap- 
ply same as any paint. 

Always use the very best Pale Japan for a dryer 
in your colors. This is very important. There 
arc a lot of cheap Japans on the market, which are 
simply worthless. They will curdle in your colors 
rendering them unfit for use and wear, besides caus- 
ing your brushes to become lousy. This means 



18 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

that small particles will cling to the hairs and your 
brush will not wash clean. 

Then the brush will drum. This means that it 
will bulge out at the heel where the hair enters the 
quill or ferrule. Then your brush becomes balky 
and will not come to a chisel edge, consequently 
becomes worthless for lettering. 

THE. CARE. OF BRUSHES 

After using wash thoroughly in gasoline or ben- 
zine, draw through your, fingers or a soft cloth to 
get them quite dry, then grease with a preparation 
of one half mutton tallow and one half common 
lard melted together. Be sure the hairs are all 
straight by pulling brush between your thumb and 
finger to a chisel edge, then carefully lay away on 
glass or any smooth surface. A flat box with a 
cover is the best place to keep them, then they are 
free from dust and dirt. This care applies to all 
lettering brushes. 

You may if you wish use clear lard to grease 
with, it is quite good, but lard and tallow are better 
because the tallow will hold the hairs more straight 
than lard alone. 

Common bristle brushes for coarse work are us- 
ually kept in a tub filled with water. Do not set 
brushes on bristle end but put a few clothes pins 
around edge of tub and slip handles in these so 
brush will hang. Should brush when new shed a 
few bristles on account of dryness, do not soak 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 19 

bristles in water, instead tip brush upside down in- 
serting handle letting the water cover about \ inch 
of the heel of bristles, soak 15 to 20 minutes. Of 
course after brush has been put in paint it is prop- 
er to keep the same in water. Never grease letter- 
ing brushes that have been used in water colors but 
simply wash out in clean water. 

Of" course you are not limited altogether to using 
water colors for card work, you may use what are 
called Japan or flat colors. These dry quick and 
also without a gloss. They are ground in japan, 
and need only to be thinned with turpentine, that 
is all. 

Japan colors are the kind used by carriage 
painters. They are applied on top of two or three 
coats of lead which has been mixed so as to dry 
with an eggshell gloss, and are always varnished 
over with a good varnish. This produces a fine 
gloss and also preserves them for wear. 

Oil colors can be used on some kinds of card- 
board but they sometimes spread and do not stand 
out quite as well as japan or water colors. Oil 
colors work well on genuine sign writer's muslin. 

Do not use water colors on cloth for outside work 
of any kind, for should rain touch them the colors 
will blur and run. Water colors, however, will 
work well on cloth and look well, but should be 
us<'d only on work which is intended for inside 
purposes. 



20 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

HOW TO DO CLOTH WORK 

Now I will explain to yon how to do cloth signs, 
how to mix colors for same so they will not spread, 
the proper cloth to use, the best brushes, etc., etc. 

In the first place there is a muslin or cloth made 
exclusively for sign writers. This is the proper 
thing to nse, it is well filled and has a nice, solid, 
white, smooth surface. Your colors not only work 
easily bnt look better by far than if you attempted 
to use common muslin; besides muslin is too fuzzy 
and transparent and you will ( especially in the be- 
ginning), have trouble with your colors spreading, 
etc. 

For your first practice, by all means use sign 
writer's muslin. You will have occasion, now and 
then, to use cheap, common muslin, but you w411 be 
better posted by that time and can make a better 
success of it. There are people w T ho have a weak- 
ness for buying their own muslin when they want 
a sign painted on cloth. They generally get some- 
thing a little better than cheese cloth and then ex- 
pect a sign writer to produce a nice piece of work, 
never thinking that no matter how well the sign man 
does his work, or how tastily arranged, the cloth is so 
frail and transparent that the sign is a frost; and 
yet the sign writer has had to do twice the amount 
of work. 

When you contract to do a muslin sign, always 
furnish your own cloth. 



THE SILENT SIGX WRITER 21 

Of course cloth signs are made in all sizes, but 
they do not as a general rule average more than 
twenty feet in length; these are the kind that you 
usually see across store fronts. As sign muslin is 
generally three feet in width, the average cloth sign 
is made that width, although for a good showing 
some are made five and six feet wide. Should you 
use two breadths of cloth, sew the seam close to 
the edge and perfectly straight. This makes the 
smoothest looking sign. Your cloth won't wrinkle 
along the seam. 

The best way to do muslin signs is to make a 
light frame, the size you need, then stretch your 
cloth evenly and tack. Xow you have a nice, 
smooth surface and can prop up your sign any way 
you choose to make lettering easy. Use a fish line 
or any kind of small string to strike your guide 
lines. Use charcoal, the kind that comes in small 
sticks or the common soft lump charcoal to chalk 
your string with, this dusts off very easily after your 
work dries. Use a duster of any kind for this purpose. 

Measure the width you wish your lines of letters, 
stick an awl or nail in the end of the sign, fasten 
your chalk line, run your charcoal along the string 
then hold it on the opposite end of sign where you 
have the same width marked and snap same as you 
would any chalk line. This gives you good straight 
lines. Curved lines may be marked off-hand with 
charcoal lightly, this will come easy for you after a 
little practice. 



22 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

ABOUT THE. PRICE OF CLOTH WORK 

A good rule is to figure about 10 cents per run- 
ning foot for each line in plain work, if shaded, 12 
or 15 cents. If you build a frame, figure that ex- 
tra. This is about the average price for cloth 
work. 

This gives you a good profit as will be seen by 
referring to cut No. 12 on page 58. That cloth sign is 
6 feet high by 14 feet long and was clone complete in 
fifty-nine minutes, after colors were mixed and 
cloth was tacked on wall. 

Three colors, black, red and green, were used for 
the letters, and some words were shaded, besides 
there were also some scrolls and dashes thrown in 
here and there. 

You have about three and one-half lines, or about 
49 feet of lettering, say 49 feet for example, at 12 
cents, that brings you $5.88 for the sign complete. 
Now deduct 9^ yards of muslin at say 8 cents per 
yard, and about 25 cents for colors, this is a good 
margin for expense, look at your profit for one 
hour's work. We will say, for instance, that 85 
minutes were consumed in mixing colors, tacking 
up cloth, and lettering same, what a fine margin of 
profit. 

Of course you cannot in the start produce a sign 
of this size in that length of time, but suppose you 
should work say five, or even seven hours, can you 



THE SILENT SIGX WRITER 23 

make better wages at anything else, or even as 
good V 

Yon can after a little practice accomplish what I 
did or better. 

The best brush to use on sign cloth is either a 
flat camel hair, bear hair, or a red or black sable, 
camel hair is the softest. Some like one kind and 
some another. After a short trial you will be bet- 
ter able to make a choice of one that suits your 
taste best. These brushes can be bought in all 
sizes from one-fourth to two inches or more in 
width. 

For common muslin that has no filling you will 
find that a brush with coarse hair will work better 
than camel or sable. 

To mix colors, for cloth, that will not spread, use 
dry colors, mix first with a varnish or japan, to a 
stiff paste, then thin with gasoline. These will 
hold good in rain and work free and easy. You 
may also at times use colors ground in oil. but use 
japan instead of varnish for a binder or dryer, and 
thin with gasoline. What little oil there is in them 
will rarely ever spread, the gasoline makes them 
set before they have a chance. (Colors ground in 
Japan or oil are put up in tin cans ranging in 
size from one-fourth to ten pounds. ) Never use 

soline in your colors only for cloth work. 

Card and cloth work is the kind you must work 
<>n in the start, for this reason, it is the best prac- 
tice you could get, it brings the quickest and easi- 



24 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

est money, and besides master these two then the 
rest will come a great deal easier for you, such as 
board signs, walls, and all kinds of large outside 
work. 

To letter the glass of a store front will be just as 
easy for you as to do a card in your own shop. 
Here is a good opportunity to tell you how to mix 
your colors for glass lettering on store fronts, and 
also how to do aluminum lettering on windows, the 
kind you so often see. There is good money in 
this class of work. For lettering in colors, mix 
your colors with boiled linseed oil and just a little 
japan, you may add a little turpentine to make your 
colors work free and easy. Not too much turpen- 
tine or your colors will fade very quickly. Sketch 
your work with chalk same as card or cloth work, 
just a few guide lines here and there. After a little 
practice you will be able to do most of this kind of 
work with no guide at all except the top and bot- 
tom lines of each row of words. 

For aluminum or gold bronze lettering on glass, 
mix equal parts of chrome yellow, ground in 
oil, and white lead with good japan and just enough 
turpentine to make color work free and easy. Some 
sign writers use what is called an oil gold size, with 
just a little good japan, yellow and white added, 
this makes a good size. It works easy and wears 
well. 

When I have a window to letter in aluminum or 
gold bronze, I generally pick up almost anything I 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 25 

happen to have on hand, being sure to mix my 
color so it will dry fast or become tacky soon after 
applying. Then I use a pounce made of a small 
wad of cotton tied inside of a piece of cheese cloth, 
dip in the powdered aluminum or gold and pounce 
over the size lightly when it becomes tacky enough 
not to stick to pounce, then rub off the surplus 
bronze from the glass lightly with clean cotton. 
Do not apply bronze when size is too wet and do 
not wait until it is too dry. After one or two trials 
you will get the hang of it so you can tell by touch- 
ing the size your with fingers, when it is dry enough 
for the aluminum or gold. 

Do not use but a small amount of linseed oil in 
your size at any time for it will dry too slow and 
besides kill the lustre of the bronze. If you have 
a very quick drying size and want it to dry slowly, 
just add a little linseed oil. Of course these point- 
ers are for the ordinary sign work. As previously 
stated, the kind that brings quick money. 

In fact, it is not the writer's intention to drill 
you on how to produce a gold leaf sign on glass 
worth from 850 to S150, neither does he expect you 
to learn this class of work in the very start. This 
kind of work takes practice and cannot be mastered 
until you are able to design good letters in the more 
common work. 

I will tell you though how to do glass gilding. 
1 will give you the best method so when you are 
ready to cope with this branch of work you will be 



26 THB SILENT SIGN WRITER 

able to go at it as yon should, thereby making 
your road to success as easy as possible. Gold leaf 
is a very fragile article, even a slight breath or a 
light draft will cause it to fly through the air. It 
takes something like three hundred leaves of gold 
to make the thickness of ordinary writing paper, so 
you may very easily imagine the thickness of each 
leaf. Gold leaf is put up in small books about 3^ 
inches square. The leaves average about 3^ inches. 
A book contains 25 leaves of gold, each leaf lies 
between two leaves of thin paper, so a book in 
reality has 26 leaves of paper including covers. To 
lift the leaves of gold from the paper for glass gild- 
ing always use (what is called) "a gilder's tip." 
This is a small thin brush generally made from 
camel or badger hair. These tips are very thin and 
are about three and one- half to four inches wide 
and the hair is anywhere from one to three inches 
long. When you want to lift a whole leaf, use 
the full tip. but when you wish to handle smaller 
portions some cut the tip in two or three pieces. 
This you may suit yourself about after you become 
accustomed to leaf laying. The tip must have 
electricity put into it before you will be able to lift 
a leaf of gold, this is accomplished by rubbing it 
lightly in your hair or by slipping between your 
hand and the back of your head, turning it over 
two or three times while going through this process. 
The latter will keep the hairs of your tip more even 
and consequently will lift the leaf better. After 



THE SILENT SIGX WRITER 27 

charging the tip with electricity you will be able to 
lift quite a number of leaves before it will require 
being charged again. 

In glass gilding you always have to use a tip, in 
fact it is the only way that you can lay leaf on glass. 
But for other kinds of gilding such as laying leaf 
on plain surfaces or raised letters, it is not neces- 
sary. The best practice for gilding, in the start, 
is to simply try laying gold leaf on glass, after you 
become familiar with this, then you may try form- 
ing letters. 

Of course, in store fronts the glass is perpen- 
dicular, but the easiest way to lay gold on glass is 
to have the glass slanted or tipped about forty-five 
degrees, especially in your practice work. 

To make a good size for glass gilding, take about 
one and one-half pints of distilled water put into a 
small covered enamel or granite pail, set on stove 
or over a spirit lamp and let come to a boil, now 
drop into this a small piece of Russian isinglass, 
about the size of a twenty-five cent piece, continue 
to boil until entirely dissolved, (isinglass dissolves 
very slowly) then let cool and you are ready to try 
gilding on glass. 

NOTE — Never boil size in a tin vessel. 

HOW TO HANDLE A BOOK OF GOLD LEAF 

The best way to handle your book of gold is to 
cut a small piece of card board or cigar box cover 
about the size of book. Lay your book on this and 



28 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

turn back each leaf of paper as you use each leaf of 
gold, be sure that it does not lift the gold with it, 
go slow. Now crease or fold leaf any width you 
choose, according to the size or piece of gold you 
wish, run your finger nail along edge of crease on 
gold, this cuts the gold. (Some use the first finger 
and some the fourth.) Then you may cut this strip 
into two or three pieces again by running your 
finger nail from the crease to the outer edge of the 
book. Now you are ready to lift these pieces with 
your tip as previously stated*. 

HOW TO PREPARE GLASS FOR GILDING 

In preparing your glass be sure there is not a 
particle of dust or dirt left on it. You should al- 
ways wash it with water and whiting with a little 
ammonia or alcohol added, this will insure a clean, 
polished surface which is absolutely necessary in 
this class of work. Then flow on your size with a 
small one or two inch, flat, camel hair brush, or 
more properly, a gilder's wash brush. Now pick up 
a small piece of gold with tip, hold tip flat w T ith 
glass, having gold next to glass, as soon as tip is 
nearly ready to touch the glass your leaf will jump 
or pass from the tip onto the glass. 

After laying one or two pieces, quit, and let your 
size dry, do not touch it and you will find that the 
gold will burnish of its own accord. After it is dry 
should it appear cloudy or streaked, just pass over 
the back of it with your size and let dry again. If 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 29 

it is still cloudy your size is too strong or heavy, 
add a little more water, distilled of course, and try 
some more leaf; you will find when you get your 
size the proper strength, the gold will burnish like 
a mirror, without a cloud or streak in it. 

This is good practice and will enable you right 
in the start how to become familiar with getting 
your size the proper consistency. 

While you are laying leaf it will sometimes part 
or crack in places, don't mind that, for after you 
have the leaf all laid, these places may be patched 
afterwards. Soon as you have your first applica- 
tion of leaf in place and it is burnished and thor- 
oughly dry, you will find that there are a great 
many edges of surplus leaf sticking up, these can 
and must be removed by rubbing over the gold very 
lightly with dry absorbent cotton, or a soft gilder's 
brush. This must be done lightly or you will 
scratch the gold. 

Now you are ready to patch the places where the 
leaf has cracked and also any small holes that may 
appear. This is done by applying the size same as 
you did in the start, but do not flow on the size too 
many times or you will loosen the first application 
of leaf. 

Of course, gold leaf as well as silver is always 
used on the inside of plate glass or on the back, 
and is backed up with paint to hold it in place. 

After you are acquainted with the method of lay- 



30 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

ing leaf, you may then attempt a few letters on 
glass. 

Some use a pattern, this is made by first draw- 
ing your letters or design on rather a tough manila 
paper exact size, then use a small tracing wheel to 
ran all around the outlines of each letter, lay a com- 
mon desk blotter under your paper while you trace, 
this will make a clear prick puncture. After you 
have the pattern all traced, turn over and smooth 
off with a No. 1 or li sand paper. Take some 
whiting and tie up in cheese cloth for a pounce. 
Now place your pattern on the front or outside of 
glass so it reads frontwards, pounce all over each 
letter, being careful not to let your pattern slip or 
move, then remove pattern, now you have a trans- 
fer of design on the glass, lay your leaf on the op- 
posite side of glass, let it run over the edge of each 
letter and no matter if the edge is rough, you can- 
not make it any other way. 

After getting the letters all covered w T ait until 
your size is perfectly dry, then proceed as formerly 
rubbing with cotton or gilder's brush, then patch- 
ing, etc. After work is all dry and patched, you 
may flow over the gold, with your size slightly 
weakened with water; this adds an improvement to 
the burnish. 

It is well now to let your work stand six or eight 
hours before proceeding with it. Then take the 
pattern, and put on the glass same as before, 
only on the opposite side. Your pattern will now 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 



31 




Cut Xo. G. 



32 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

be directly on top of the gold, and will read back- 
wards same as any letter would from back of glass. 
Get your pattern in the exact position as it was on the 
front of the glass, and pounce same as before, only 
you had better use a pounce made from powdered 
charcoal instead of whiting, this shows clearer on 
gold than whiting. Now you have your outlines 
to go by, and may proceed to back up or paint your 
letters directly on top of the gold with a chrome 
yellow ground in japan and mixed with about ^ good 
spar varnish, thin with turpentine and use color 
quite thin, be sure to cover every spot of gold that 
is to be left on the glass and form your letters very 
carefully. 

After your first backing is in place, let dry from 
seven to ten hours. 

Now take a little clean cotton, dip in water, then 
dip in a little whiting, and proceed to wash or rub 
off the surplus gold which sticks over the edge of 
your letters, be sure to rub entirely clean before 
you attempt to go further, you now have a clean, 
gold letter and may proceed to outline same with a 
fine line of black, blue, green, red, or any other 
color you choose, adding your shades afterwards. 
After this is thoroughly dry. back up your work 
with a good, solid color mixed with pure spar var- 
nish, always using japan colors. After your sign 
has stood two or three days you may run a small 
line of spar varnish around the edge of each letter 
or design letting the varnish come partly on the 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 33 

letter and partly on the glass. It is transparent 
and will not show, besides it makes the edge en- 
tirely waterproof and excludes the air. consequently 
makes your work wear better. 

When your gold is laid and you wish to use pat- 
tern second time on the back or inside of glass, you 
will find that you can see the gold letters through the 
pattern, consequently it is easy to get the pattern 
in place. 

It is a good idea with a large pattern especially, 
to have some one help hold it in place, another 
good way to insure getting pattern in place the 
second time is: when you use the pattern first 
time, just cut two square holes one in each end. 
pounce over these being careful not to rub off. 
when you remove pattern. Then when you put 
the pattern inside after leaf is laid, have the holes 
come directly over the first pounce imprint. 

(Note) The best wheel for tracing any pattern is a harness 
makers stitching tracer, these are small and are easy to form 
short curves with, besides one will last longer than a dozen com- 
mon tracing wheels. 

Another good way is to do away with the pat- 
tern, instead draw your work out on the front of 
the glass with chalk (rub glass off with ammonia 
or alcohol first; this causes the chalk to mark 
good) then on the opposite side of glass draw a 
fine line, of any color you choose, clear around all 
your letters, let dry. then flow on the size, fill in 
the gold same as before, now back up the letters 



34 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

being careful not to ran the backing quite to the 
outer edge of your first outline, if you do there 
will be small particles of gold outside of your out- 
lines after rubbing off the surplus gold. Shade 
as before, back up again, then put varnish line 
around edge, after letters are thoroughly dry. 

When you shade, especially with delicate colors, 
you will usually have to put on two coats, other- 
wise the backing will show through and dull the 
shades making them look cloudy. 

A very pretty gold letter is made by making 
the outlining in gold, then run in some nice or- 
naments (the same) on inside of letters, then clean 
the surplus leaf away, then fill open space with 
bronze mixed with japan and varnish as previously 
given, this produces a very pretty contrast, mak- 
ing the ground or inside of letter look like rough 
gold. 

Notice cut No. 6, page 31 the word BANK is 
made in this manner. 

I could tell you dozens of ways of how to 
make and arrange different styles and designs, but 
these few suggestions will start you right and as 
you progress, keep your eyes open, look at all 
signs you come upon, study them, get different 
sign writers 1 ideas and designs, sometimes two or 
three designs worked together in a combination 
make a very pretty sign. 

You may learn a great deal by observing closely 
other people's work and methods. 



THE SILEXT SIGN WRITER 35 

Quite a few glass gilders use oil colors instead 
of Japan colors, if yon do. be snre to use in them, 
the best japan for a dryer, and terpentine for a 
thinner, these hold quite well. 

(Note) At all times, and very especially in gold leaf work, on 
glass, use only the very purest colors and varnish that money 
will buy, for glass is practical^* non-porous, so to make your 
work hold and wear well, you must use only pure colors. 

Never have any oil in first color that comes di- 
rectly on top of leaf for it will cloud the burnish. 

Silver leaf is laid same as gold, only have the 
size a little stronger. 

For glass gilding do not use varnish in colors 
that have oil in them or visa versa. 

(Note) Should your tip not lift the leaf readily after rubbing 
in your hair, you may remedy same by rubbing in your own hair 
a very small amount of vaseline. 

Some sign writers use a tip for laying leaf on 
board signs, raised letters etc. as well as for glass 
gilding. 

At all times in working around gold leaf, be 
careful not to scratch it. for gold mars very easily. 
even a loose sleeve or a coat corner pulled over a 
letter will leave its mark. 

It is a good idea especially in warm weather, to 
rub a Little whiting on your hands, it will prevent 
the led' from sticking to them. 

Never put less than two coats of paint back of 
letters in glass gilding, three are better, always al- 
low your colors to dry well between coats, more 
time is required for oil colors than japan. 



36 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

For lettering on the outside of glass, do not use 
varnish in colors that have oil in them or visa versa. 

In using clear oil gold size, you may hurry its 
drying along by adding some good japan. The 
more japan you use the quicker it will dry. You 
will soon become used to the proportion as you 
practice. 

TO LAY GOLD LEAF ON DIFFERENT 
SURFACES 

For laying gold leaf on tin signs, board signs, 
raised letters, iron, etc., be sure to have your sur- 
face built up with rather flat colors and thoroughly 
dry. Then use an oil gold size, you may procure 
this at any wholesale supply paint house. 

These sizes are made to dry in different periods 
of time, some dry sufficiently in eight hours, some 
in twenty, and some even longer. I have used 
sizes that could be left eight or nine days after ap- 
plying before the leaf was laid. 

Never lay your leaf on wet size, it kills the bur- 
nish, sign men call it drowning the leaf. Rub the 
end of your finger on cloth so it is dry and not 
sweaty, touch your size now and then, as you are 
doing your other work, and when it gets quite dry 
it is time to lay the leaf, remember that your size 
must be so dry that you can detect only a slight 
adherence when you touch it, and must not show 
your finger mark. 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 37 

Gold is laid by turning back each leaf of paper, 
then turn book upside down and press lightly on 
surface, keep repeating until your surface is all 
covered, now pat down with clean absorbent cot- 
ton, then rub lightly with a gilder's brush until all 
loose leaf is removed. The surface will then as- 
sume a clear burnish, this done, the gold is finished 
ready for wear. 

(Xotr) Gilders brushes are made in sizes raging from No to 
10. A Xo. 7 or 8 can be used for most work. 

Never varnish over gold, it is but seldom done 
unless on delivery wagons etc., or a varnish sur- 
face sign. 

To cut around a gold letter is done the same as 
around a colored letter on any flat surface. Never 
use silver leaf for out-door work, instead use nickel 
or aluminum. Silver turns black when exposed to 
the weather. There are also japan gold sizes made 
for laying gold leaf, aluminum, etc., these dry quick 
and produce a fine burnish. They are especially 
good to use for work which it is desirous to finish 
quick. 

Some sign writers use this kind for almost all 
purposes (except glass) both for inside and outside 
work. Nickel and aluminum leaf is laid on sur- 
faces same as gold, only it is heavier, so you must 
have your size a triflle more tacky. Alumi- 
num or nickel leaf is too heavy to use for glass 
gilding. 

(Note) For gold leaf work on glass, it is a good plan to mix 
or grind your colors on a pallette with a pallette knife. It causes 
them to wear better. 



38 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 



PRICES FOR GLASS GILDING 



For glass gilding you may figure from 
50 to 75 cents per running foot. For 
letters anywhere from 3 to 6 inches in 
height, as a usual thing, 50 cents per run- 
ning foot is the least that gold can be 
laid for. with a reasonable profit. If you 
have from 25 to 50 feet and should 
use a six inch letter, you would figure 
about 05 to 75 cents per r aiming foot. If 
a three or four inch letter, you could 
lump it off for about 50 or 60 cents. 
Some sign writers figure a certain amount 
for each letter, but no matter how you 
figure you should make each lineal foot 
bring about the amount previously 
stated. 



o 
2 



3 

u 



INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUTTING 
IN LETTERS 



In your first practice you must learn 
to paint letters solid on a surface, after 
you master this, you will find in a great 
deal of your work that it will be to your 
advantage to cut around your letters or 
produce letters by "cutting in," as the 
sign writers term it. This method is the 
one used almost entirely for wall work, 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 39 

such as the Battle- Axe signs, General Arthur Cigar 
signs, and in fact, nearly all wall signs. 

Suppose you have a board two feet wide and 
twenty feet long and wish a solid white letter with 
a black back ground, proceed thus: Shellac all 
small knots and pitch, with common orange shellac. 
This is applied same as paint, it dries very quick 
and prevents the knots or pitch from coming 
through the paint. Now mix some white lead with 
\ oil and | turpentine, just a dash of good japan, 
and add just a little lamp black ground in oil, to 
give it a light slate or lead color, this is for the first 
coat. The next two coats may be painted with 
pure white lead mixed half and half with oil and 
turpentine, allow a day or two between coats. 

(Note.) One coat of light drab or slate color and two coats of 
pure white produce a more even white than three coats of piire 
white alone. 

After all is dry strike your chalk lines with a 
string for top and bottom of letters, then space 
your words and letters and proceed to cut around 
them. In this class of work you may lightly sketch 
out your letters with chalk, after sign is dry dust 
off chalk with duster, same as in cloth work. The 
background or color used for cutting in should dry 
with a gloss, this means use quite a little oil in the 
color. Never forget to use just a little Japan in 
nearly every color you use, except those which are 
ground in Japan, they need none. You may smalt 
the back ground of the white letter sign same as a 



40 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

gold or aluminum sign, if you wish, of course this 
will give you a little more money for sign than a 
plain painted back ground. 

In gold leaf or aluminum work you prepare your 
boards with about three coats of flat lead color, when 
dry, sand paper lightly, and lay out your letters 
carefully with chalk. After letters are marked out 
dust off surplus chalk with duster, the outlines will 
remain. Now coat in your letters with gold size. 
(Either the oil or japan.) When tacky enough, lay 
your gold or aluminum leaf, pat lightly with cotton 
and burnish with gilder's brush. In a few hours 
you may cut out your letters same as white and 
black work. Usually gold and aluminum are fin- 
ished with a smalted or sanded back ground so your 
color must be mixed quite heavy and also corres- 
pond in shade to the smalts, if a black smalts, use 
a black color, a green smalts, a green color, etc. 

Your color must be mixed so as to dry slow, con- 
sequently the smalts will look better and hold bet- 
ter. Most sign writers use just a little lead in 
their smalting colors, even in black, this causes the 
smalts to hold well for the paint then dries very 
hard. The best way to smalt a sign board is to lay 
it on some paper on the floor after having the back 
ground all laid in, now take a flour sieve, one that 
will nicely let the smalts through and sift over your 
sign, letters and all. Be sure to have every portion 
covered, let lay about two or three hours, then tip on 
edge and the surplus smalts will fall off, leaving a 



THE SILEXT SIGX WRITER 41 

nice sanded back ground, pick up your surplus 
smalts and put in box to be used over again on 
other signs. Smalts may be had in all colors, from 
any paint supply house, and range in price from 4 
cents to 10 cents per pound. When purchasing 
smalts be sure to get the fine grade and the best. 
Some are too coarse to wear well and look well. At 
all times spread your colors evenly and be sure to 
mix well, this is half of the wear, the colors 
must not be laid on heavy only for smalts, other- 
wise brush out well. 

All round letters, such as O, Gr. S. or any which 
have a round top or bottom, should be just a trifle 
higher than the rest of the letters in any word, if 
made the same height they would look shorter. 
Your eye will guide you just what proportion to 
extend over line according to the height of letters 
you are making. 

(Note.) The expert letterer is not entirely governed 03- arbi- 
trary rules of his art, his art instinct guides him. 

HIGH LIGHTING ON LE.TTE.RS 

Gold lettering in some kinds of work should be 
high lighted, with Naples yellow, or chrome yellow 
and white mixed. By high lighting is meant a thin 
line on top of the letter and along the right hand 
side. This line is really not a shade but a color or 
stripe put on. the letter extending just to the outer 
edge as you will notice by referring to the cut on 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 43 

page 15, letter E, first letter in second line is high 
lighted. 

In speaking of cutting around letters or block- 
ing in. I want to say that this method for some 
classes of work is far ahead of any other, for ex- 
ample, take dead wall work, suppose you wish to 
use several different colors, for the letters and your 
field work or back ground is to be a black, blue, 
green or any other color, by using this system you 
finish the whole sign as you go along and make a 
nice, clean piece of work, with all edges cut clean, 
etc. 

A dark color will cut clean around a light color, 
where the reverse would be impracticable, that is 
why the cutting around system is so much used, a 
great majority of signs are made with' a dark back 
ground. There are so many different styles and 
kinds of letters and designs used in wall work that 
it would be almost impossible to give a set rule 
for doing this work. Whatever you undertake, be 
sure to make a good, attractive piece of work, hav- 
ing all edges clear and clean cut. There is a say- 
ing among sign writers that one of the best ways 
to test the ability of a sign writer is to put him on 
a piece of wall work with two simple colors white 
and black. This class of work will show where he 
is lame, if at all. in regard to spacing and general 
arrangement. A variety of colors to a certain de- 
gree tend to hide a sign writer's faults in lettering. 
which otherwise would show up very prominently. 



44 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

HOW TO DO WALL SIGNS 

In wall work lay out your letter first in white, 
yellow, pea green or any light color. You need 
not try to cut a smooth edge, only get on enough 
color and even, so that when you cut around them 
there will be no open spaces. After you cut out 
the letters, you may now run a line around edge 
and at the same time shade right over the back 
ground, supposing of course, that your back ground 
is green, blue, or any color besides black. Use 
black for your shade. Should you make your sign 
with a black back ground no shading is necessary. 
See cut on page 45, for example of a black and 
white sign This sign in size on wall is 21 feet 
high by 26 feet long. Of course, with wall work 
the same as any other, a sign writer can use his 
own judgment according to his ability in combin- 
ing colors, shading, etc. Wall signs are figured at 
the rate of from 3c to 5c per square foot. 

(Note.) On page 61, you will find a list of harmonious colors 
and also how to produce different colors and shades. 

HOW TO MIX COLORS FOR WALL WORK 

Use dry colors and mix with one-third linseed 
oil (either boiled or raw), and two-thirds naptha or 
benzine. This is the general proportion used by 
all sign men. This proportion will set quick and 
the result is that you can cut a clean, smooth edge 
and colors will not blend together and look streaked. 

In attempting your first wall work or any kind 



THE SILEXT SIGN WRITER 



45 



where you wish to cut around, or cut in a letter, 
you had better use the style shown in cut on page 
6. This is called a block or square letter, because 
every letter is made with straight lines. Xo curves 
or round corners to contend with. It is in reality 



* DENTIST 

76 W. 3 IP St. 



Cut Xo. 9. 

the easiest letter to make when you wish to cut 
around. AY here you simply paint the letter on top 
of a surface, I think the round is somewhat the 
easiest, although you may use either style you 
choose. 

HOW TO FROST GLASS 

To frost glass for practical use, take white lead or 
zinc, add Damar varnish and thin with turpentine. 



46 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

Apply a light coat with a clean brush and stipple 
while wet. This answers well for general purposes. 

TO MAKE TRANSPARENT SIGNS ON 
GLASS 

For a box sign with a light inside, to be read at 
night for lodge rooms, restaurants, etc., have a tin- 
ner make box or frame out of galvanized iron any 
design you wish, so that the glass may be removed 
from the outside. Have tinner put a number of 
small prongs around edge«which may be bent down 
on the glass after it is in place. This is the general 
method unless you wish to change the glass three 
or four times a week. In that case have each glass 
framed with a small frame, and make box so these 
y be set in place with a couple of catches, or 

ve loose slides to shove frame into. 

Here is an easy w 7 ay to make a good looking 
transparent letter on glass. Suppose you wish to 
make the word "Restaurant, " for example. On the 
outside of the glass make a block skeleton letter 
by outlining with aluminum using about a \ inch 
outline, this leaves the letters open in the center. 
When dry, turn glass over and coat back ground 
with some dark color, cut around the outside of 
letters but be careful not to run your back ground 
over into the opening of letters. Two coats are gen- 
erally required to make a nice, solid back ground. 
When this is dry, frost the inside of letters with 
a stippled white. The frosting of course, is done on 






THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 47 

the background side. This leavestbealuminum out- 
line on the front side of glass and the background 
and frosting on the back side. This method makes 
a very neat and practical sign. 

TO LE/TTER ON OIL CLOTH 

Use oil colors mixed with turpentine and japan, 
or Japan colors mixed with varnish and turpentine. 
To prevent colors from crawling, always rub sur- 
face of oil cloth briskly with a clean cloth soaked 
in gasoline or benzine. Or, take just a little fine 
powdered pumice stone and water and rub surface 
lightly with a piece of soft felt, then dry. This 
removes the gloss slightly and colors will work fine. 

(Note.) It is not always necessary to use a brush to stipple 
frosting with, you can produce quite a good frost effect by pounc- 
ing color while wet with a pounce made of cheesecloth tied loosely 
around some cotton. Pounce until surface looks even. When 
stippling frosting never drag your stippler but hit the glass with 
a straight chug same as you would use a pounce. 

HOW TO TEST LEAD 

A simple method for testing white lead is to put 
just a small portiou on a match head, light another 
and hold to first match, after the sulphur is com- 
pletely burued off, if the lead is pure, you will dis- 
cover small beads all over the first match head, 
looking like small diamonds, or quick silver. This 
is the pure lead, formed in small bubbles or beads. 
Pure lead only will act this way, others which are 



48 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

adulterated will only appear as so much charred 
mass. This is about the easiest and simplest 
method known. 

HOW TO LETTER GLASS IN OFFICE 
DOORS 

Hallways, as a rule, being somewhat darker than 
the office rooms, it is advisable to use a straight 
black for your letters. The glass being transpar- 
ent, black shows up to the»best advantage, in fact, 
it is almost entirely used for such work. The 
smooth side of chipped, Florentine or ground glass 
is generally put on the outside or hall side of door. 
So naturally you letter on the outside or hall side 
in most cases. Strike your lines with chalk, or 
better yet, there are pencils made for marking on 
glass, some mark black and some mark blue. This 
is the best thing to line your glass with. It will 
rub off after the letters are dry. It shows better 
than chalk. The best, easiest working and most solid 
color to use is a refined lamp black ground iu oil. 
Mix quite heavy with one-third oil, two-thirds tur- 
pentine and quite a little good japan, for lamp- 
black is slow drying. This makes a nice, solid 
glossy letter and the light will not show through as 
would be the case with some blacks. You may 
finish your glass with one application when using 
this mixture. Some like just a little Prussian blue 
or drop black ground in oil, put in the lamp 



THE SILENT SIGX WRITER 49 

black, it works well and makes the black look some- 
what richer. 

HOW TO MAKE RAISED LE,TTE,R SIGNS 

Paint your board the same as any sign, for the 
ordinary kind, have edge champered, see cut B on 
page 42, or leave edges perfectly square and use a 
small moulding with ornaments on face of sign 
around letters, see cut A on page 42, or you may use 
a moulding in imitation of rope or any other de- 
sign, with or without ornaments, to suit taste. 
Some sign writers of but little experience use a 
genuine rope for ornaments and mouldings on 
signs, while these do very well for some kinds of 
inside decorations, (although it is an old idea) it 
is no good for outside work, does not hold color, 
shrinks, warps, etc. These kind of ornaments are 
only used by the inexperienced and are a good 
thing to leave alone. For a neat, plain piece of 
raised letter work, I refer you to cut on page 38. 
This board is 19 feet long and 20 inches high and 
has a raised letter 10 inches high, by 1J inches 
thick. This same size letter could be used on a 
board 24 inches wide and would look fully as well. 
Always give your sign plenty of back ground. 

You may buy raised letters, any size, from tirms 
who nirike a specialty of raised letters, or you may 
have them made at your home mill, or make them 
yourself. I generally have mine made at the mill, 



50 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

at least sawed out, then I finish them off myself. 
If you wish to have the mill saw them out, simply 
make a pattern of the letters out of heavy manila 
paper. The mill will mark them out on a board 
prepared for that purpose and saw them out. If 
you wish a straight champered letter they can 
make nearly the entire champer on a shaper, what 
little remains undone you may finish with a sharp, 
flat chisel and some fine sand paper or the mill will 
finish complete for a few cents extra. 

(Note.) When making patterns, mark on each letter pattern 
how many are needed. For example, should your sign have two 
N's and three C's, mark same on pattern and the mill will dupi- 
cate the number pattern calls for. 

By a champered letter is meant a square or 
block letter with the front corners taken off. To 
make a letter look best always cut your champer 
with a sharp slant, say about \ inch deep on the 
side of letter. 

The round finished letter shown in cuts on page 
4.2 is a more expensive letter, requires more gold 
and more labor. These were made by me complete. 
If you are quite handy with tools you may do the 
same, if not, you can as previously stated, buy any 
size or style of raised letter you wish, finished 
ready for the paint. Some firms issue catalogues 
of different styles of letters so you will have no dif- 
ficulty in getting them. 



THE SILEXT SIGN WRITER 51 

HOW TO LAY OUT AND FASTEN LET= 
TLRS TO BOARD 

Some nail through from the front and some mark 
around them after they are laid in place, then re- 
move letters and bore from four to six holes through 
board for each letter, then fasten in place with a 
thin screw, from the back. Be sure that the screw 
is \ of an inch shorter than the combined thick- 
ness of board and letter. Give the letters and 
board at least one coat of paint, before yon fasten 
letters in place. Putty with glazing patty all holes 
or defects when first coat is dry, then paint letters 
and board at least two more coats. Sand paper 
each coat lightly with fine sand paper, being care- 
ful not to rub off the corners. Then gild the 
letters as given in previous rules for gold leafing 
surfaces. Lastly put on the smalts and sign is fin- 
ished. I nearly always fasten wood letters by nail- 
ing, it is the easiest and quickest way, besides 
answers for most purposes. 

When you fasten raised letters to the board by 
nailing through them from the front side, use a thin 
six-penny wire finishing nail, and sink the head 
very lightly with a nail set, never drive a nail deep 
enough to mar the letter with the hammer head. 
Putty holes with glazing putty, this is the best 
putty for all holes and rough places, use an ordi- 
nary putty knife. 



52 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

HOW TO MAKE GLAZING PUTTY 

Glazing putty is made by taking dry white lead, 
sifted mix with it | good japan and ^ rubbing var- 
nish. Pound this on a hard, smooth board or marble 
slab with a hammer. Be sure to pound quite a while 
so as to make it very smooth and do not get it too 
thin. It must be the same consistency as common 
putty, after it is finished put in a small pail or cup 
and cover with water, to keep it fresh, otherwise it 
would soon harden and become useless. This dries 
much quicker and harder than common putty. It 
is called glazing putty for the reason that carriage 
painters use it to glaze over the surface of buggy 
bodies using a putty knife. It is put on as evenly 
as possible and after hardening is sand papered 
down to a smooth surface with fine sand paper. 

PRICES OF RAISED LETTER SIGNS 

Raised letter signs of the ordinary kinds for 
store fronts, etc., may be figured anywhere from 
$1.00 to $2.00 per running foot complete. 

There are firms who make letters of different 
metals, flat and raised of every description. These 
are fastened with pins or screws to all surfaces ex- 
cept glass. On glass a cement is used. 

Firms who furnish these letters will send the 
pins, screws, or cement to fasten letters with, ac- 
cording to the surface you wish to place them on. 
When you wish to fasten raised metal letters to 



THE SILEXT SIGN WRITER 53 

glass, first lay out pattern on glass, then spread 
your cement evenly on the back of letter then press 
hard on the glass, working letter slightly until it 
is tight, then put a small piece or two of beeswax 
under bottom edge and clean off surplus cement, 



5 



I 

NO 

nJi.LJj 






Cut Xo. 10. 



which has worked out over the edge of letter. To 
clean use a small pine stick and soft cloth, satur- 
ate your cloth with a little turpentine or benzine. 

HOW TO MAKE STE.NCIL PAPER 

To make a good stencil paper buy four or five 
yards of extra heavy manila paper. This costs about 



54 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

3 or 4 cents per yard, then use boiled linseed oil with 
plenty of japan and a little turpentine. Lay paper 
on floor or tack on side wall. Coat one side and 
when dry turn over and coat the other. This makes 
a good tough stencil paper and the cost will be 
about 5 to 7 cents per yard. To buy the same ready 
prepared would cost 15 to 25 cents a yard. Stencil 
paper is used for decorative purposes such as bor- 
ders and ornaments of all kinds. Scrolls, etc., are 
marked on the paper, then cut out leaving small 
ties here and there to hold pattern together. 

Should you wish to make a lot of small signs to 
use for country advertising, say 100 or 200, simply 
coat boards white or any light color, two coats, then 
lay out the reading matter on stencil, cut out let- 
ters, leaving a small tie here and there, see cut on 
page 53, then lay your stencil on the board and run 
over the letter back and forth with a small felt- 
covered roller, previously run through paint on a 
slab, same as a printer would use it in ink. These 
rollers may be purchased in different sizes. For 
most purposes a roller about 5 inches long by 2 
inches thick will answer. Cloth or felt may easily 
be renewed as often as required. If you wish to 
make stencil signs look like hand painted, you may 
paint out or cut the ties afterwards with a small 
brush, it does not take long, though for cheap and 
quick work this is unnecessary. 

(Note.) Always cut paper stencil on glass with pockec knife. 

For this work, mix your lettering colors a trifle 



thp: silent sign writer 55 

thinner than printer's ink. but not too thin or they 
will look too transparent, besides there is danger of 
their running. It is a good idea to put a small 
thinframe around edge of stencil to keep it straight, 
where you have a lot of signs to make it is easier 
to handle. Leave a good margin around edge of 
stencil. 

Should you wish two or three inscriptions for 
your batch of signs simply make two or three sten- 
cils. Do not give a man a choice of more than 4 
different inscriptions on 200 small signs. After a 
little practice you can do this work very rapidly 
and make easy money. If you wish to advertise in 
a cheap way for firms, out in the country, on 
fences, etc., use about f each of lead and whiting 
mixed with a little japan and linseed oil for a 
binder, thin with gasoline. Coat the white on first 
then letter right over same with oil lamp black 
mixed with japan and gasoline. Use a small, flat, 
one-inch bristle brush for lettering. If you wish 
a light lemon back ground, put in a little chrome 
yellow, if a pea green, put in a little chrome green, 
etc., etc. Figure this work at about the rate of 
84 00 for one dozen signs and always try to get at 
least two dozen signs from each firm. Do not make 
signs on fences longer than two board lengths. 
Shorter is better. In any sign work have your in- 
scription made short as possible and to the point. 

You may contract to advertise for twelve or fifteen 
firms and go out for a week and make easy money. 



56 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

Your material costs but little and a rig will not cost 
more than $1.50 or $2.00 per day, so you see what 
a nice margin of profit you can make. This class 
of work is good practice in the start and is easily 
handled. 

GLASS SIGNS 

If you wish to make an attractive sign on glass, 
such as cigar signs, etc., to hang in stores, letter 
front with a size and run a stripe or two around edge 
of glass. Then pounce on aluminum or gold bronze 
or a part of each. After dry clean off surplus pow- 
der with cotton and coat back of glass with any 
dark color, such as black, green, brown, blue, etc. 
Hang with small brass chains. You may outline 
letters if you wish. 

HOW TO MAKE SMALL SIGN BOARDS 

For a small single or double face sign anywhere 
from 18 to 36 inches iong and 10 to 20 inches wide 
procure a piece of galvanized iron smooth, without 
a crinkle and frame with a light wood frame using 
a small quarter round for inside of frame. This 
makes a good, light serviceable sign, can be finished 
quick and will never crack or warp. Before apply- 
ing paint, clean with benzine to remove all grease. 
Finish same as wood sign, only use your ground 
colors a little more flat and you can get along with 
a coat less. You may make them also with a wire 



c 



£m ^= s-a, 

oO * £> 

m ""* 32* 
X r* ^ o- 

> ° £c= 

PI 






o 








58 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

turned edge. To make an attractive, quick piece 
of work, finish back ground with liquid aluminum 
and letter with an oil black. Finish frame in black 
also, or you may cut around the letters making a 
black back ground, this is also done quick and 
looks well. Smalt same as any sign. 

TO BUILD LARGE SIGN BOARDS 

The best way to build large signs for store fronts, 
etc., is to use good § inch lumber, well glued. Run 

Positively QEmiNGf*BU5iNESi 

Entire STOCKfoBESoLDAT 

Auction c t:t^ Tue 

Cut No. 12. 

frame of 4-inch strips, § of inch thick clear around 
back, using plenty of screws, and also have plenty 
of cross pieces on back to keep sign from warping 
and checking. This looks like a solid 2 inch thick 
sign, it is lighter to handle and will last longer 
than a thick board would. 

BULLETIN BOARDS, HOW MADE,, E.TC. 

Bulletin boards are made out of 3-inch matched 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 59 

flooring, run up and down on frame work made out 
of two by fours and moulding around front edge. 
These are sometimes made in sections, and can 
easily be taken apart after lettering. The one shown 
on page 57 is made in three sections, each section 
being 6 by 8 feet, making board complete 8 by 18 
feet. The three inch boards used in the construc- 
tion of bulletins are placed perpendicularly for the 
reason that they look better and shed water easier 
than if placed otherwise. Bulletin boards are fin- 
ished in all colors to suit the subject, reading mat- 
ter, etc. In this class of work use but a very little 
turpentine in your colors, it causes them to fade 
quickly when exposed to the weather. 

Note. Colors mixedwith oil, dry slow and with a gloss. Col- 
ors mixed with turpentine dry quick and without a gloss and are 
called flat colors. 

CEMENT FOR FASTENING LETTERS ON 
GLASS 

Take dry white lead, sifted and free from lumps, 
add sufficient coach varnish and mix to the con- 
sistancy of putty; it is improved by being kept a 
few hours before using. 

Add enough dry lamp black to make it a slate 
color for metal letters or enough Indian Red to 
match color of backing for Glass Letters. 

FINAL REMARKS ON SPACING 

Do not string your letters out too much, have 
the letters and words spaced so that each word ap- 
pears distinct or somewhat exclusive. Some sign 



60 THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 

writers letter on cloth or cards in a manner which 
causes the sign to look more like a conglomeration 
of letters without much of a display or meaning. 

In different words the letters come in such form 
as will make it necessary for you to put more space 
between some than others, for example, take the 
word PLATE, you will notice there is a large 
open space between the L and A simply because 
the peculiar construction of the letter L leaves an 
open space, and especially that the letter A follows 
makes the space still more' open because the A is 
narrow at the top and consequently falls away (so 
to speak) from the L. Now to close this space as 
much as possible, make the bottom of L as narrow 
as you can possibly allow and crowd the letter A 
close as you can and still not make them look too 
crowded. The point to remember is to have the 
work always balance well. 

Should the letter T come after the letter L you 
have a better chance to fill the open space, for ex- 
ample take the word PELT, part of the letter T 
fills the open space after the letter L. 

In general lettering you must allow about two 
or three times as much space between the words as 
between the letters of each word. As previously 
stated your eye will guide yoa in the matter 
of spacing after a little practice. 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 61 

Harmonious Color Contrasts. 

Red with green. 
Blue with orange. 
Deep blue with golden brown. 
Deep blue with pink. 
Chocolate with light blue. 
Chocolate with pea green. 
Black with warm brown. 
Black with warm green. 
Deep red with gray. 
Maroon with deep blue. 
Maroon with warm green. 
Claret with buff. 
Yellow with violet. 
Violet with pale green. 
Violet with light rose. 



Tints Produced by Combination of Colors. 

White, yellow, red and black make umber. 

Vermillion and black make turkey red. 

Ultramarine blue, black and white makes slate. 

White and ultramarine blue make sky blue. 

Medium yellow, red and white make sienna. 

Orange, lake and purple make russet. 

Ultramarine blue and lake make purple. 

White and lake make pink. 

White, ultramarine blue and black make pearl tint. 

Medium yellow and red make orange. 

Medium yellow and purple make olive green. 

Lake and purple make magenta. 

Red. black and medium yellow make maroon. 

White and purple make lavender tint. 

White and black make grey tint. 

Lemon yellow and bronze blue make grass green. 

White, lake and lemon yellow make flesh tint. 

White, medium yellow and black make drab tint. 

Bronze blue, lemon yellow and black make dark green. 

Red, black and blue make dark brown. 

White and medium yellow make buff tint. 

Dark green and purple make bottle green. 

Carmine and lake make bright pink. 

Carmine and blue make violet. 

Carmine and yellow make amber. 

Red and green make olive. 

Red and orange make brown. 

Blue and black make dark blue. 

Blue and yellow make green. 

Black and white make gray. 

Black, white and blue, equal parts, make blue-black. 



62 



THE SILENT SIGN WRITER 



How to Detect Adulterations. 

1. By Means of the Senses.— Obtain a sample of pure 
Linseed and adulterate it yourself, and thoroughly familiar- 
ize yourself with the taste, smell, feel, and general appear- 
ance of the oils so treated. 

By rubbing a few drops of the oil to be tested vigorously 
in the palm of the hand, the presence of fish, rosin, and par- 
afiine oils can readily be detected by the smell. 

2. By Means of Chemistry.— Shake equal parts of oil 
and muriatic acid, commercially pure, in a small white glass 
vial or bottle, and allow to stand 15 minutes to 2 hours, and 
look for results in the following table: 







Upper Stratum 


Lower Stratum 




Pure 
Linseed Oil 


Muddy 
Olive Green 


Pale 
Yellow 


_l 


Rosin Oil Nearly Black 


Almost Colorless 


o 
_l 

< ■ 

K 
III 


Brown Neutral 


Muddy Brown 


Almost Colorless 


i 


Deodorized 
Naphtha 


Muddy Yellow 


Almost Colorless 


1 1 Fish Oil 


Decided Deep 
Red Brown 


Deep Red or 
Cherry Color 



THE SILENT SIGX WRITER 63 

FINALLY 

Be courteous at all times when soliciting busi- 
ness and most people you meet will extend the 
same courtesy to you. 

I believe now that I have given all the informa- 
tion in a general and practical way. which is neces- 
sary for your guidance, and I feel that by a careful 
study of this book and a little iDractice, you may 
make a start in life that you will never have occa- 
sion to regret. You have, as previously stated in 
the beginning of this book, the practical methods 
of a man of many successful years of actual experi- 
ence in the sign business. Trusting that this book 
will be of great assistance to you and that my ef- 
forts have not been in vain. I remain, 

Yours truly. 

THE AUTHOR. 



APR. *13 19° 3 

LIBRARY OF CONCRETE 

mil- 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



ii mi iiiii 111 



013 963 898 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



013 963 898 



